Far Too Young To Die
by WonderfulCaricature
Summary: Hermione and Draco's world is thrown in a whirl when Lucius moves in. Sequel to Ties That Bind.


**Wow. It's been a while, huh? I've been MIA from this fandom for a while, so I'm sorry for any rough bits! But this is the start of the new sequel to Ties That Bind. I can't promise consistent updates, but I like to think I can promise this won't be as scattered as Ties That Bind. It's also been a few years since that fic, so I believe that my writing has also improved. Of course, that's for you to decide. ALSO: this will not be completely focused on Jauclin.**

**This is shorter than most chapters will be and probably laced with spelling and grammar errors. I apologize.**

**It's set at the summer after Autumn's fifth year. I'll correct it if I'm wrong, but it's 2020.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mistakes you come across. **

The rain and wind had been worse than it had been in a long time. The power had gone out about two hours ago, but everyone in the mansion was keeping themselves thoroughly occupied. James and Teddy were in front of the fireplace with Dora and Scorpius. James was making the strangest sounds to match the new features Teddy was coming up with. Their intent was to keep the kids from crying. It hadn't worked at first. They were mostly terrified, but it was sounding like Teddy was getting the hang of what was appropriate to put on for children under the age of five. Autumn was flipping through Jauclin's old Advanced Potions' textbook, jotting her own notes beside he sister's in the margins. At one point she had given up on the directions of a certain potion, throwing the book across the room in the dining room. It had a close call with the fireplace in there. Actually, one of the bottom corners had caught, but the girl saved it just before the whole damn thing was enveloped in flames. Dad was in the sun room, at a desk with two large candles on it. The thick curtain was drawn, but I had seen him go in there with a pile of books in his House Elf's arms and the candles balancing precariously on top of them all. The only two missing were Hermione and Jauclin.

Silence was worrying, slightly. But silence meant they weren't screaming at each other. So it was welcoming all the same.

I slipped through into the sun room with a cup of tea after checking to make sure my children and grandchild were in no immediate danger (Autumn had scowled at me when I asked if she was okay to be by herself for a bit). Dad glanced over his shoulder at me before I sank into the seat to his right. The books he had brought out, all ancient texts from his library, were laid out on two coffee tables he had commandeered. He had taken up languages since the babies were born. It gave him something to do when we weren't around it. He had successfully translated some speech given by some old guy with old prejudices. It was significant in some circles, but the fact that the transcript was available was significant to the wizarding world as a whole. It meant he knew a language that few did. He submitted it anonymously, though. So the multitude of texts that the public was begging to be transcribed went unanswered. Hermione and I had tried to convince him to stick his name on the text. There were hundreds of important documents he could open to the public if only he was given recognition for that one. He always shook his head, though, and and scratched his left forearm. "Be realistic, Draco," he says. Or, "they can't see the skins I've shed in the dark, my sweet child." Hermione, Merlin love her and her sheer determination for men to get their due, pressed him one time until he rolled up his sleeves and asked if she would have him greet the community with his Dark Mark prominent against his pale skin. We didn't talk about it after that.

"You may have two dead bodies lying around somewhere," I told Dad, examining my nails.

"They're outside," Dad muttered.

I snapped my attention up to him, "What are they doing outside?"

"Did the storm take your senses along with the power?" He looked at me with raised brows and then glanced out the far window before going back to his work.

Sure enough, through the rain being whipped around by the wind, Hermione and Jauclin sat on a bench near the weeping willow. They were distorted by the way the raindrops were falling on the window, but Jauclin's bright hair and Hermione's wild curls were clear enough through the haze.

"They're going to catch pneumonia." I huffed as I headed towards the door.

"They're at the grave, Draco."

I stilled and frowned down at the knob. Dad clicked his tongue when I took another step forward, and he hummed contentedly when I took a couple away from it. Hermione and Jauclin got along as well as you would expect two bullheaded women, who just happened to be in Gryffindor and Slytherin, to. There were moments when they came together, though. There were moments when the bad history between them chilled on the back burner while other pots came to a boil at the front. Jauclin miscarried a few months ago. Hermione, Teddy, and Jauclin were the only ones who knew what went on that night. Autumn and I were even home, both of us away at Hogwarts. Autumn had no clue. Hermione told me, of course. But she begged me not to ask her anything else. She begged me to just hug Jauclin and not to question it when she cried. Just hold her. I did. And she cried. And I just cooed nonsense in her ear like she was four years old again and had just had a nightmare. It was hard seeing my child in pain and not knowing what I could possibly even think to do to stop it. The holding seemed to help, though, and so did the ton of sherbet we went through while we recounted all the people we made cry when we were in school.

"Scorpius has started hissing like a snake," I said while choosing a seat with a better view of Hermione and Jauclin.

"Hissing?" I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"James thought it would be funny." I rolled my eyes. "Scorpius doesn't understand what it means anyway."

"He will one day."

"And by the he won't even remember he used to do it."

"I don't know why you and Hermione allow Autumn to keep up with that barbarian."

I sighed. I asked myself that question everyday. But, "James makes her happy," I answered. "And it's not like they're dating."

"They haven't been dating since before they started talking."

I made a noise in agreement but continued to stare out the window. This weather would kill someone, and the two of them were practically sacrificing themselves. I rolled my eyes and took to glaring as if it would will them to come back inside.

"I'm leaving the Manor," Dad said after sometime, startling me. From the noise and the statement itself.

"You're selling the Manor?" I scowled at him.

The Manor had been in the family for as long as I can remember reading about. Malfoys _always _lived in the Manor. It never belonged to anyone else and shouldn't-wouldn't.

"I'm leaving, I said," he explained, "There are too many stairs and too many corridors for me to navigate by myself. It takes me damn near an hour just to get from my quarters to the parlor. I'm too old, Draco, and this place is too big."

"So what?" I couldn't help from keeping the disgust from my voice. "You're just going to leave it here to dust and be pillaged?"

"What are you? A barbarian?" Dad tore his eyes away from his work to give me a critical look. "What wizard in his right mind would _pillage _from the Malfoys? Of course, I'm not going to leave her here to wilt away. The Wimbourne Wasps need a promotional hall. Merlin knows even the Manor has a better reputation than that dive they've been using in Dorset."

I raised my brows and stood, frowning down at my father. Little Knox and Jauclin bought the Wimbourne Wasps at the end of this last season. For the past decade there had been talks of how the Wasps were a dying team. They were barely winning games, and when they placed, it was out of sheer dumb luck. Knox had made a comment at a dinner a couple of years ago about how Alex could probably manage the team better single-handed than the groups that had coming in and out of Dorset on a yearly rotation. Obviously Little Knox had not caught on to the insult under the words, because a year later he had up and moved to the Merlin forsaken area. Nothing was mentioned at that time. Everyone was just curious about his move and blamed it on him following a piece of meat to a new town. Then Jauclin and Teddy started dropping Dora off with me and Hermione or Scarhead while they took weekend trips to Dorset to visit with Alex. Potter, Hermione, and I didn't say anything, but there was that underlying suspicion. Then two months ago, the three of them held a gathering, announcing Jauclin and Little Knox's investment.

"You're serving Jauclin the Manor on a silver platter?"

"Please," Dad sighed and put a cap on his ink after setting his quill aside, "I would never serve Jauclin anything on a silver platter when gold is available." I scoffed. "We made a business deal."

"Oh, Merlin."

"She and Alexander are splitting the profit they get-"

"If they can even turn the Wasps into profit."

"-down the middle. Ten percent of her profit will go to keeping the Manor up: including repairs, staff payment, bills, et cetera. Another ten percent will go to me personally."

"I should have known Jauclin was in on this."

"This isn't some conspiracy, son." Dad clutched his cane tightly as he rose to his feet when we noticed Hermione and Jauclin slowly making their way back towards the Manor.

"Where are you even going to live?" Has he even thought this through? "You know as well as I do that no one is going to take an ex-Death Eater into their community. No one's going to sell to you." He nodded along with me. "You don't even like going to the market because of the looks you get. How are you going to live by yourself somewhere new if you can't go alone to somewhere you know?"

"For all our faults, I like to think that your mother and I raised a relatively altruistic son."

I bit back anything that was initially planning on tumbling out of my mouth. I opened it to say something but shut it again. What? When have I ever gave off the impression I was altruistic? When had my parents _ever _instilled "be good to people" in my brain. My frown deepened when I caught my father's intent gaze. No. No way. My mouth opened gain. Obviously I was not at my most charismatic self.

"Are you..." I trailed off. No.

"I'll give you time to talk it over with Hermione, of course." Of course. "But I'd like to be moved in sooner rather than in two weeks."

"You want to move in with me and Hermione?" I spat out.

"Yes, I believe that was fairly obvious." I gaped at him as the door to the outside burst open, followed by Hermione and Jauclin shoving in after it. Jauclin performed a quick drying spell over the both of them while Dad stared at the watery mess they were dragging into the sun room. "Be sure to clear up your shoes before walking anyway," Dad regarded the women. "My Elves do enough without you two adding to their troubles." He nodded to us before hobbling out of the room, leaning heavily on his cane.

I sunk down into Dad's vacated chair, and the other two finished cleaning themselves up. Hermione made sure to leave them cleaner than they had been. She was not one to add any work for the House Elves. They were talking softly to each other about something or other. I couldn't hear them above my own thoughts. My father could not live with me and Hermione. Our sex life was just barely alive with Scorpius being a toddler and all, not to mention Dora's visits when Jauclin and Teddy were swamped with anything at any given moment. Dad being there all day and everyday was just asking for my own celibate life for the rest of his days. I wouldn't even be surprised if the man found a way to cheat death just to keep me living in a constant state of blue balls.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Jauclin asked as she and Hermione adjusted their hair in their own compact mirrors. I noticed they did the same things to primp.

"You're moving into the Manor." I dragged a hand down my face.

Hermione glanced over at her daughter. "You're moving in with your grandfather?"

"Oh," Jauclin mumbled.

"Yeah, oh."

"Oh?" Hermione looked over to me.

"She's moving into the Manor, and Dad is moving out."

"He can't even go to the market alone. How is he going to move somewhere new if he can't stand to be somewhere he knows?"

"That's what I said."

"Grandpa was talking about maybe moving in with relatives." Jauclin watched Hermione closely.

Hermione was much quicker to vocalize things than I was. "He wants to move in with us?" Her eyes flitted between me and Jauclin.

Jauclin shrugged and finished straightening herself up, "He didn't elaborate with me. Just said 'relatives'."

I exchanged looks with Hermione as she processed the information. Dad didn't really set it up in a way that it was debatable. I told Hermione that we could discuss it when we got home. It would give us time to think it out before jumping to rash decisions or statements. Of course, one of us said no to anything the other said when we tried coming up with alternatives or a way to make it work that didn't include turning the guest room in Dad's room. Both of us remained silent as we waited for the worst of the storm to ride over Wiltshire to the point where we could at least make it out to the Apparation point without feeling like we were walking through a hurricane. Hermione bundled Scorpius up and held him tight under her cloak before jetting out to the point. She was the first to apparate out and did so with no wasted time. Dora went much in the same way. Her little arms were clenched tightly around her father's neck, and her face was burrowed into the crook of it as he darted out. Leaving Jauclin and Little Potter last, I took Autumn's hand after Dad left me with one last look and apparated before I could even dwell on anything else.

"I'm going to put Scorpius to bed, and then we'll talk." Hermione greeted as soon as Autumn and I walked through the door.

Autumn blinked. "Do I need to-"

"You can stay. You can talk with us."

"Do you really think-" I started but was cut off.

"She lives here, too. It'll affect her."

Scorpius took Hermione's proffered and clumsily tripped to skip alongside her as she led him through the living room to the stairs.

"Are you getting a divorce?" Autumn asked immediately, slowly dropping her bag on the table in the dining room.

"You have to be married to get a divorce," I replied, not bitterly. Truly.

"Are you splitting up?"

"No," I assured her. "Your mother and I are good. We're good."

Autumn nodded. "Did Jauclin get knocked up by another mutant?"

"Autumn."

"I'm just covering all the bases." She held her hands up and plopped down into a chair, waiting for Hermione to come back.

I made some very fine, very strong, Irish coffee and sipped it frequently when I was finally explaining the situation to the both of them fifteen minutes later. The sourer Hermione's expression turned, the more gleeful Autumn's turned. Why did she even need to be here? Of course she was going to be one hundred percent on board with Dad staying with us indefinitely. By the time I was done telling everything, she was practically bouncing in her seat. When I asked if she had any comments, words were spilling from her mouth, tripping over one another. She was beyond okay with it. She prattling off books she was going to get for his room, what color to paint his bathroom, which linens for his bed, and places she could take him on the weekends. She also mentioned something about the new potions he could help her with and practice with dueling. Hermione quickly turned those ideas down. Firm foot in the mud.

"Why are we even discussing this?" Autumn burst, both of her arms falling heavily on the table as she let out a long suffering sigh. She shared her sister's and my father's love of dramatics. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?" She flopped back in her chair and threw her arms in the air. "This is a _much _better idea that Jauclin buying the stupid Quidditch team. Merlin."

"Autumn, he's not going to want to be carted around in public, you know that," Hermione reminded her.

"I know, that's why we'll walk."

"This isn't a joke."

"I know!" Autumn held up her hands. "But here is different than Wiltshire. People aren't terrified of Papa here anymore, no so much. If you can walk around without people throwing curses your way, Dad, I'm sure Papa will be fine." Hermione and I gave Autumn matching looks. "I'm just saying: Papa wasn't the one blamed for trying to kill the greatest wizard of your time."

"And he wants to be out in two weeks?" Hermione asked me.

"It was more two weeks less than two weeks," I scratched the back of my neck, "you know how his implications are."

"Well," Hermione sighed, causing Autumn to stand up abruptly. Hermione gave her a wary glance before continuing, "I think if it was your mother, we'd have been the ones to offer in an instant."

"Hermione..."

"Dad!" Autumn beamed excitedly.

"We're all he has, Draco." Damn her and her voice of reason and emotion.

I ran a hand through my hair, yanking it at the ends.

"I'll go talk to him tomorrow."

Autumn let of a very high pitched noise that gave me PTSD of Victoire Weasley. "Papa's going to live with us?"

I gazed at Hermione and nodded begrudgingly, slightly resentful of the smirk pulling at her lips, "Lucius Malfoy is moving in."

**Interested? Intrigued? Irate because you believe Draco Malfoy was cheated out of good ending in the canon? Let me know in a review:)**


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